Please help! We are getting nervous here. Eggs not hatching!

This incubating process has been a rough one! I am a nurse in a nursing home and we have been trying to hatch chicks and this is our 3rd go around! Time number 1-the resident turned up the temp to 120 and killed all the eggs with 6 days to go. Time 2-he again messed with the temp and it got too cold and he killed them on like day 6. This time we are doing good..(I thought!! We taped the temperature dial and all has been fine. He had 6 out of 12 eggs that have done good. I have candled them during the process. There is not sign of hatching as of yet. They should have started July 22nd. (yesterday) I was BAD and candled one today-hopefully I didn't kill it! I can see the air sack at the end, I can see a large "dark spot which I assume is the chick" I can see red veins. Good yet? How long do I wait this out. I feel so bad for this poor elderly man who has been trying to hatch chicks for what seems like months.

2. If they do hatch tomorrow, I am gone from work tomorrow, can they stay in the incubator overnight until Friday morning? I don't need to put them in box with a light or anything do I?

Can it take longer in an incubator than under my hens at home?

Thank you so much for all your help!


Val

Inconsistencies in temperature, and overall low temp can slow it down. And they are individuals too, can hatch anywhere between day 18 and day 25. Also, are you counting the days right? The day you set them is day 0, not day 1. The yolk the chicks have absorbed before hatching should keep them going up to 3 days, so shouldn't be a problem leaving them in the bator a bit longer.

I put them in on July 1st. I counted July 2nd as day 1. Do I not touch them anymore? I did candle the one today just to see what was going on, I couldn't see much but the air sack, the dark spot and the red blood veins. I guess we will wait and see and cross our fingers. I don't even care if only 1 chick hatches at this point!

Val

Val4029 said:

I put them in on July 1st. I counted July 2nd as day 1. Do I not touch them anymore? I did candle the one today just to see what was going on, I couldn't see much but the air sack, the dark spot and the red blood veins. I guess we will wait and see and cross our fingers. I don't even care if only 1 chick hatches at this point!

Val

Click to expand...

I wouldn't touch them anymore. How is the humidity, now and during incubation?

I had always kept it around 55-60%, it was there consistently. I bumped it up the last 3 days or so to around 75%. All I know that allowing my broody little mommies hatch their own eggs in my coop is so much easier!!

Are you certain the elderly man is not opening the incubator or messing with the eggs?? Here is a photo of a fully developed chick in the shell ready to hatch, the shadow you see if the beak, it has internally piped..

To be honest I am by far not an expert at looking at eggs (candling) we have green eggs and dark brown eggs so they are difficult to see in any way. I do see the air sacks, I do see the dark area which is the chick and I can see blood veins in some. I did see a chick move the other day as I was candling them prior to shutting the incubator down for the 3 days prior to hatch. Thank you for your help.


Val

The 21 days is a guideline, not a hard rule. Sometimes they come earlier, sometimes later. Do you hear any faint peeping from the eggs? They can stay in the incubator overnight - it will keep them plenty warm and as stated above, they won't need food or water until you can get there. If your thermometer was off some, that could slow set your hatch date back a day or so.